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Samuel Ferguson
| death_place = Howth, Ireland | occupation = Writer, Antiquarian | nationality = Irish | period = | genre =Irish poetry | subject = | movement = | notableworks = Congal, Lays of the Western Gaels | spouse = Mary Guinness | children = | relatives = | influences = | influenced = | signature =Samuel.Ferguson.signature.jpg }} Sir Samuel Ferguson (10 March 1810 - 9 August 1886) was an Irish poet, barrister, antiquarian, and civil servant, perhaps the most important Ulster-Scot poet of the 19th century. Life Overview Ferguson was born at Belfast, the son of parents of Scottish extraction. He was ed. at Trinity College, Dublin, from which he received in 1865 the honorary degree of LL.D. He practised with success as a barrister, becoming Q.C. in 1859 and Deputy Keeper of the Irish Records 1867 (an appointment in which he rendered valuable service), and was knighted in 1878. He was a contributor to Blackwood's Magazine, in which appeared his best known poem, "The Forging of the Anchor", and was one of the chief promoters of the Gaelic revival in Irish literature. His collected poems appeared under the title of Lays of the Western Gael (1865), and his prose tales posthumously (1887), as Hibernian Nights' Entertainments (1867). His principal antiquarian work was Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.John William Cousin, "Ferguson, Sir Samuel," A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature, 1910, 136. Web, Jan. 12, 2018. Youth Ferguson, the 3rd son of John Ferguson of Collon House, co. Antrim, was born in Belfast on 10 March 1810. He was educated at the chief public school of Belfast, the Academical Institution.Moore, 355. He then proceeded to Trinity College, Dublin, where he earned a B.A. in 1826, and an M.A. in 1832. In 1838 he was called to the Irish bar, and obtained some practice on the northeast circuit of Ireland. In 1859 he was made a queen's counsel, but in 1867 retired from practice on his appointment as deputy-keeper of the public records of Ireland. He was the 1st holder of that office, which entailed much investigation and arrangement of documents. Just before Ferguson's appointment, 1 of the chief officials in charge of the records had publicly stated that the Irish statutes to the reign of Queen Anne were in Norman French, a language never used in Ireland after 1495, so little were the keepers acquainted with the records they kept. He thoroughly organised the department.Moore, 356. His antiquarian knowledge, his literary ability and attainments made Ferguson's conversation delightful, while his high character and generous disposition endeared him to a large circle of friends. On 16 August 1848 he married Mary Catharine Guinness, and for many years he and his wife practised an open, generous, and delightful hospitality towards every one in Dublin who cared for literature, music, or art, at their house in North Great George's Street. Writing From its initial appearance in 1833 he was a contributor to the Dublin University Magazine. In it he published in 1834 an English metrical version of the "Address of O'Byrne's Bard to the Clans of Wicklow," "The Lament over the Ruins of Timoleague Abbey," "The Fair Hills of Holy Ireland," and "The Forester's Complaint;" in 1836 "The Fairy Thorn" and "Willy Gilliland." At the same period he published a series of tales in which verse is sometimes mingled with prose, after the manner of Cowley's essays, called Hibernian Nights' Entertainments. These stories have been edited by Lady Ferguson since their author's death, and published in London, in 1887, together with a reprint of his first volume of collected Poems and the Remains of Saint Patrick, a translation into English blank verse of the Confessio and Epistle to Coroticcus, with a dissertation on the life of the saint. He wrote 2 political satires, Inheritor and Economist and Dublin. Other poems were published by him in Blackwood's Magazine, of which the best known is "The Forging of the Anchor." "The Wet Wooing" was published in the same magazine in 1832, and in May 1838 his amusing satirical dialogue, illustrative of Irish educational schemes then prominent, "Father Tom and the Pope." This has been reprinted with other contributions of his in Tales from Blackwood, 1st ser. vols. iii. vii. viii. xii. In 1865 he published a volume of collected poems, Lays of the Western Gael, in 1872 Congal: An epic poem in five books, and in 1880 a 3rd volume of Poems, chiefly on subjects taken from Irish literature. Besides the contents of these 3 volumes a few separate poems of Ferguson are in print. "The Elegy on the Death of Thomas Davis" appeared in the Ballad Poetry of Ireland, while the witty song of "The Loyal Orangeman" was never published, though privately circulated, and often recited in Dublin. Besides these numerous contributions to literature he wrote many essays on Irish antiquities (Proceedings and Transactions of Royal Irish Academy, 1834-1884), and carried on lengthy investigations in several parts of Ireland. He died, after an illness of some months, at Strand Lodge, Howth, in the county of Dublin, on 9 Aug. 1886. After a public funeral service in St. Patrick's Cathedral, his body was conveyed to his family burying-place at Donegore, co. Antrim. As an antiquarian Ferguson's most important work was his collection of all the known Ogham inscriptions of Ireland and their publication (Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, Wales, and Scotland (edited by Lady Ferguson), Edinburgh, 1887). He was laborious and accurate, and nearly all he wrote on antiquarian subjects deserves careful study. As a poet he deserves recollection in Ireland, for he strove hard to create modern poetry from the old Irish tales of heroes and saints and histories of places. Another Irish poet has maintained that the epic poem ‘Congal’ entitles Ferguson to rank in Ireland as the national poet (Reflector, 14 April 1888), and his long metrical versions of Irish sagas are praised by Miss M. Stokes (Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, November 1886) and by Judge O'Hagan (Irish Monthly Magazine, vol. xii.) He was not perfectly acquainted with the Irish language, and perhaps this accounts for the fact that, while sometimes giving the stories more beauties than he takes away, he misses something of the reality of ancient life, and seems to talk of a shadowy scene, and not of the real deeds of men and women. Several of the poems of his own experience are admirable, and will probably have a permanent popularity in Ireland. The ‘Elegy on Thomas Davis,’ ‘Willy Gilliland,’ and the ‘Lines on the Liffey in Mesgedra’ are not faultless, but they are beautiful poems with a true Irish air. Recognition Ferguson was awarded an LL.D. honoris causa from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1864. On 17 March 1878 Ferguson was knighted in recognition of his services. In 1882 he was unanimously elected president of the Royal Irish Academy. Ferguson is honored with a feast day on August 2 on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church (USA). 3 of his poems ("Cean Dubh Deelish", "Cashel of Munster", and "The Fair Hills of Ireland") were included in the Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900.Alphabetical list of authors: Daniel, Samuel to Hyde, Douglas, Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900 (edited by Arthur Quiller-Couch). Oxford, UK: Clarendon, 1919. Bartleby.com, Web, May 16, 2012. Publications Poetry *''The Cromlech on Howth: A poem''. London: Day, 1861. *''Lays of the Western Gael, and other poems. London: Bell & Daldy, 1865. **new edition (introduction by Alfred Williams). Dublin: Sealy, Bryers, & Walker / London: George Bell, 1888. *Congal: A poem in five books. Dublin: E. Ponsonby, 1872. *Poems. Dublin: William McGee / London: George Bell, 1880 *The Forging of the Anchor: A poem. London & New York: Cassell, 1883. *Lays of the Red Branch'' (introduction by Mary Catherine, Lady Ferguson). London: T.F. Unwin, 1897. *''Poems of Sir Samuel Ferguson'' (edited by Alfred Perceval Graves). Dublin: Talbot / London: T.F. Unwin (Every Irishman's Library), 1918. *''The Poems of Samuel Ferguson'' (edited & introduction by Padraic Colum). Dublin: Allen Figgis, 1963. Plays *''Deirdre: A one-act drama of old Irish story''. Dublin: 1880. Fiction *''Father Tom and the Pope; or, A night at the Vatican. Baltimore, MD: J. Robinson, 1856. *''Hibernian Nights' Entertainments. Dublin: Sealy, Briers, & Walker, 1887. First Series, Second Series, Third Series. Non-fiction *''On the Antiquity of the Kiliee or Boomerang''. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy, 1840. *''Account of inscribed stones in the sepulchral monument, called Mane Nelud, at Locmariaker : in the department of Morbihan, Brittany''. Dublin: McGlashin & Gill, 1864. *''An Account of Further Explorations at Locmariaquer, in Brittany''. Dublin: McGlashin & Gill, 1864. *''Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, Wales, & Scotland. Edinburgh: D. Douglas, 1887. Translated *The Remains of St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland: The 'Confessio' and 'Epistle to Coroticus', translated into English blank verse. Dublin: Sealy, Briers, & Walker, 1888. Edited *''Shakespearean Breviates: An adjustment of twenty-four of the longer plays of Shakespeare to convenient reading limits. Dublin: Hodges, Figgis, 1882; London: George Bell, 1882. Letters *''On the Expediency of Taking Stock: A letter to James Pin, Jun., Esq''. Dublin: J. McGlashan, 1847. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Samuel Ferguson, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Aug. 11, 2013. See also *List of Irish poets References * . Wikisource, Web, Jan. 12, 2017. * * * * Notes External links ;Poems * "The Lark in the Clear Air" *"Lament for the Death of Thomas Davis" *"The Fairy Thorn" in A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895 * [http://www.bartleby.com/101/index2c.html Samuel Ferguson in the Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1900] - 3 poems ("Cean Dubh Deelish", "Cashel of Munster", and "The Fair Hills of Ireland"). *3 poems by Ferguson at the Poetry Archive *Sir Samuel Ferguson at PoemHunter (7 poems). ;Books *Works by Sir Samuel Ferguson at Internet Archive ;Audio / video *Samuel Ferguson poems at YouTube ;About *Sir Samuel Ferguson in the Oxford Companion to Irish Literature. *Samuel Ferguson (1810-1886) at IrelandsEye.com. *Sir Samuel Ferguson in the Cambridge History of English and American Literature. * Original article is at "Sir Samuel Ferguson" in the [[Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition|1911 Encyclopædia Britannica]] Category:1810 births Category:1886 deaths Category:Irish poets Category:Irish writers Category:19th-century Irish people Category:Alumni of the Belfast Royal Academy Category:Anglican saints Category:Archivists Category:British antiquarians Category:Irish antiquarians Category:People from Belfast Category:Ulster Scots people Category:People from County Antrim Category:People from County Dublin Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Gaelic poets Category:Irish-language poets Category:Poets